Students from the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP) won first place at the FRP Composites Competition, an international event organized by the American Concrete Institute during its Spring 2026 Convention in Chicago. The announcement was made on April 28 and marks the first time PUCP has received this distinction.
The achievement highlights PUCP’s commitment to promoting education and research within its university community, as emphasized by its focus on cultural and social wellbeing according to the official website. The competition required teams to design, build, and test a concrete structure reinforced with fiber-reinforced polymers (FRP), aiming for the lowest cost-to-load ratio. The PUCP team consisted of seven civil engineering students and one graduate who competed against participants from countries including the United States, Bangladesh, Canada, Mexico, Ecuador, Poland, Guatemala, Colombia, Philippines, and Puerto Rico.
Preparation for the contest involved four months of rigorous work that included material selection and laboratory testing at PUCP. Karla Bendezú said: “In November we started planning; in January we began mixing materials. Making these mixtures is not easy—there is a whole theory behind it that we had to learn. This beam is not like conventional ones reinforced with steel. What makes it special is that it uses fiberglass bars for reinforcement—a material still under research and not widely used in Peru.” Erick Amaro added that they conducted 23 beam tests using different variables such as concrete type and aggregate.
The team received guidance from professors Christian Asmat Garaycochea and Gustavo Tumialán as well as support from engineer Laura Navarro Alvarado and staff at PUCP’s Laboratory of Earthquake Engineering Structures (LEDI-PUCP). Tumialán said: “I believe this is an example of how graduates can collaborate with students by contributing professional experience. The PUCP network is immense but sometimes underexplored. Many graduates are willing to help ensure our university continues shining.” He also noted positive feedback from an international judge about their technical report.
Logistical challenges followed their victory announcement; only two members could travel due to costs while transporting their concrete beam required third-party assistance because of airline restrictions. Samantha Torres said: “This experience was challenging but I loved it. It has been one of my first experiences related to research which confirms my decision to study at PUCP was right.” Amaro highlighted lessons learned about planning ahead when working under strict deadlines.
The news portal operated by Dirección de Comunicación Institucional according to the official website shares such academic successes alongside reports on institutional activities since evolving into a digital platform after starting as a print magazine in 2005 according to the official website. Through these achievements—and ongoing academic contributions—the university serves communities across Peru according to the official website.
